


Baggage

by praetorreyna



Series: Baggage [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha Ben Solo, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Anxiety, College Student Rey (Star Wars), Depression, F/M, Mental Health Issues, Mutual Pining, Omega Rey (Star Wars), Omega Verse, Professor Ben Solo, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22323955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/praetorreyna/pseuds/praetorreyna
Summary: Rey is a senior in college, and ready to graduate the top of her class. Enter Ben Solo, her new literature professor who happens to be an alpha. An alpha that also happens to smell irresistible. Her mind is telling her to keep pushing forward, but her hormones are saying the complete opposite. All she needs is to pass his class and graduate without any trouble. That shouldn't be too hard, right?
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kaydel Ko Connix/Jessika Pava, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Baggage [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612519
Comments: 11
Kudos: 135





	1. day one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey meet on the first day of class. Rey notices a smell that sends her hormones haywire.

The lecture hall was buzzing with students ready to start the new fall semester. Rey sat in the second row, not wanting to be too eager but not so far away that she wouldn't be able to focus. It was ten minutes past what should have been the start of lecture, and she was getting impatient.

"Remind me again why we're taking this class again, and why it's so important we had to take it at 8 in the morning."

Rose, Rey's bright-eyed roommate, glanced at her and smiled. "I'm just really interested in classical literature, okay? You're here because you wanted to share a class with me and this is the only one that fit your schedule." Rey notices Rose's eyes shift past her for a moment, and turned around to see the sole reason Rose registered for this class. "Rey, I know what you're going to say, and please don't give me the look I know you're going to make."

Before Rey could give Rose a stern talking to, the professor finally decided to show up. She would make fun of Rose's crush on their RA later. The lecture doors slammed shut so hard that the overhead lights flickered above them. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, and Rey could clearly smell it in the air around her.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I'm Professor Solo, and yes, that is my actual surname." His hands flew across the chalkboard with a trail of white following suit. Her hand cramped as she tried to keep up with his lecture.

She was too distracted at first to notice the scent wafting in her direction that invaded her brain processes. Her note-taking gradually slowed until all she could do was trying to find out where that damn smell was coming from. It was times like these Rey wished she was born a beta.

As an omega, life had always been a little difficult, and being a female omega made it doubly so. Ever since she presented she feared that hormone driven alphas would be knocking down her foster family's door every heat cycle. Lucky for her she was able to get on suppressants well before she had her first heat and avoid all that fuss. As progressive as society as a whole had been on alpha/omega rights, Rey still felt like she had to work twice as hard as betas to prove her competency. Getting accepted into Coruscant University was her greatest accomplishment so far; she wasn't going to let this setback distract her from getting her degree and making a better life for herself.

The problem was, Rey had never smelled anything so alluring before. Most unmated alphas didn't take suppressants, but it was like this alpha took something to enhance their scent. She imagined what she would do this alpha, touch their skin, memorize their body...

Before she realized it the sound of zippers and chatter filled the air and Rose nudged her shoulder. "I have to run and get to my next class. Can you do me a favor and ask the professor for his email and office hours?"

Rey nodded. The fog that clouded her judgement was slowly clearing and she packed up her belongings into her backpack. Rose turned to leave and Rey followed her out of their row and headed towards the front. Professor Solo had his back to her whilst he cleaned the blackboards.

"Professor Solo, I wanted to know what was your email t-to contact you and your office hours?" Rey's voice came out in a mouse like squeak as she realized the source of her classroom distraction was the very person she had to focus on.

As he turned to face her, she noticed his nostrils flare and his pupils dilate. What was really a couple seconds felt like eternity as they locked eyes. It was as if they were the only two in the room, the sounds of students leaving the hall a distant memory. A kind of energy pulsed between them that Rey had felt only once before.

"Just... check the syllabus," Solo replies, snapping her out of the trance.

Rey scurried away and headed back into her apartment. She couldn't possibly have an attraction for her professor, not when she was so careful about taking her medications. There was obviously something wrong with them. Rey was sure. She had to maximize the dosage. Her will and her body were at war, her mind a speeding train. She didn't have any other classes until tomorrow, so she would have to distract herself for the rest of the day. It was the only thing she could do to keep her mind occupied. She could start with the laundry, then do all the dishes, maybe swiffer the floor... anything that would keep her mind off the dark haired man she was going crazy over.


	2. take me out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's becoming distracted already. An old friend comes by to help him take his mind off of things.

It was not the first time that Ben Solo felt a pull to an omega; he encountered many during his years at the university. Some were bright-eyed undergrads, some were visiting lecturers. Ben was well aware of the consequences a superior-subordinate relationship, and they didn't seem worth it to risk his chance at tenure in the coming years.

"You take forever to put your shit away, Solo."

Hux was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed as if that was supposed to impress Ben. He looked the same as the last time he visited, save for a few stitches along the side of one of his fingers.

"Good to see you too Hux," Ben picked up his belongings and made his way to his car. "How long until you leave?"

"Two weeks. Then I'm off to the fucking desert _again._ " Hux clicked his seatbelt into place and stared at the ceiling. "We need to go to the bar this weekend. I need to bang out my frustrations."

"I really don't need to go if you're just going to abandon me for the first beta that bats their eyes at you."

"I promise I won't immediately abandon you. You can stand to have some fun too you know, and get that stick out of your ass," Hux chuckled and Ben leaned over to punch him in the shoulder. Hux’s smile faded and he turned to look his old friend in the eyes. "I'm sorry about your father. I thought you could use a little distraction, like when we were younger."

Hux was still as blunt as he was in his youth. But he did have a point. A distraction from all the matters he needed to attend to; yes he did need to up his suppresant dosage to ignore that omega and talk about his father, but those could be settled another day. For once he could give in and be impulsive. He could drink his worries away. Tomorrow as Hungover Ben could deal with everything.

Tonight, Ben convinced himself that his father was at Chewie's house, playing poker like he did every Friday night. He didn't have a shit ton of emails from overeager undergrads trying to get on his good side. He didn't have a certain omega student in his class that smelled like both heaven and hell. He was just Benjamin Solo, a professor and ex-servicemember trying to have a night out with one of his brothers.

"You're lucky that I don't have plans tonight, Hux."

"You never have plans."

"Shut up."

* * *

Despite all the chores she managed to complete this morning, her thoughts kept drifting back to Professor Solo. She told herself it was just her hormones driving her crazy. It wasn't the first time an alpha’s scent drove her crazy but it was the first in years.

Her name was Jessika, and she lived down the hall from Rey when she lived in the dorms her freshman year. For the most part Rey stayed in her dorm to study or sleep and only left for food or the bathroom. Jess passed her on the way to the showers one day and they were like two magnets. But as much as they liked each other, Rey had a courseload too full for a relationship.

Now that Rey was in her senior year, she decided that maybe she would tone down her schedule to a normal load. Rose did say that she needed to relax for her fourth year, but she started to regret that decision. Now every time she had to relax after comparative literature she would think about her attractive professor. Between her classes and her job, she should be able to keep herself busy enough to forget about her raging hormones. She hoped.

"Hey Rey, how was your first day?" The door to their apartment clicked closed as Jessika set her purse down. "It looks like it went as well as the last two."

Rey frowned and tried to spread her limbs over the couch. "Do you think that if I wasn't so focused on school that we would be dating? That we’d be happy?"

"...That's a weighty question that I need a couple drinks to answer. Was that English class really that involved?"

"It wasn't class... well, it kind of is, but-"

"Spill what you're going to spill already."

"-I think I'm getting... _distracted_ by the professor." Jess's eyes widened. "I'm wondering if my biology is just going haywire again or if I'm just...imagining things."

Jess took a sip of rose and savored the taste before giving Rey one of her sage pieces of advice. "We didn't work out for a reason, Rey. We became best friends, and I'm mated with Kay now. Biology shouldn’t dictate your decisions, even if the other person _happens_ to smell good.”

Rey sat up and grabbed the other glass of wine Jess put out for her. She supposed Jess was right; if her designation really ruled over her life, she and Jess would be the picture perfect couple that Kay and Jess were now. Whatever effect Professor Solo had on her wouldn't divert her attention any more than it did the first time. She’d have it under control soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! i'm going to try and keep this updated every week or so!


	3. Chapter 3

The pencil marks in the kitchen were still there, the tallest labeled "Ben, age 7". The appliances and decorations left untouched since he was here last, over a decade ago.

Despite his cold memories of his childhood, the room was lit with candles and emitted a warmth that felt both familiar and alien to him. On the counter beside him was a pile of rose petals and two glasses of wine.

A pair of arms slipped behind him. "I missed you. I'm glad you're finally home."

 _Home_. A word that he didn’t associate with this kitchen, but a word that resonated more to the woman who whispered it.

 _Rey_.

The dream was so vivid, even after minutes passed since he awoke. He could almost feel the imprint of her arms around him. But here instead, on the farther side of the bed, lay Hux. The previous night was still a hazy memory from the alcohol. Daylight peeked through his curtains, and the sound of a vacuum in the apartment above rung in Ben's ears.

Rey was getting to him. Ben had never dreamed about another person before. Most of his dreams involved him flying or having powers. His subconscious most likely was telling him to give into his genetics, as if that was an option.

_Ping!_

A message popped up on his phone screen from his mother: _Ben, I am going to be in town for a couple days. Lunch tomorrow?_

He hadn't messaged or called his mother in at least a month. He told her he was busy preparing for his first school year as a professor, which was mostly true. She still tried to text him every day to check in that he wouldn't reply to. It wasn't something he liked to think about that much. This message was no exception.

Of all the days for her to schedule a lunch, the day after his father died was no exception. He knew what he was supposed to do: comfort his mother, mourn his father, and be the dutiful son. He should be grieving, lamenting the time he spent holding a grudge against his family.

Right now was not the time to think about that. He needed his hangover breakfast: bacon and a Bloody Mary. Once he could think clearly he could deal with it.

As the pork sizzled on the pan, Ben responded to his emails. One was for an upcoming department meeting- trash. Another was from one of his teaching assistants concerning their assigned section time- spam. The oldest unread email was from Rey, asking to schedule an appointment to go over the first class assignment. The time stamp was two hours before they had met at the bar.

He was impressed at how overeager she was. He also may or may not have overheard Rey tell her friends how close she was to graduating cum laude this year. She was an overachiever and expected nothing less of herself. He could refuse his thoughts all he wanted, but it was certain- she was something else. Interesting. Witty. Introspective.

”Bacon, Solo? You’re a man after my own heart.” Hux arose from the living room couch. “Don’t forget- I like extra bacon grease in my Bloody Mary.”

”You’re disgusting.” Ben flipped the slices over, oil splashing back and landing on his forearm. He flinches, pulling him back to the present. “How did it go last night?”

”I hooked up with that undergrad, Rose.”

”She’s cute.”

”I suppose so.”

”Hux, don’t break her heart like you always do.”

”I tell them up front I’m not looking for a relationship, okay? It’s on them if they get too attached. Besides, you were making good work with her friend- what was her name?”

”Rey.”

”She smells good. You should hook up with her.”

”I can’t. She’s one of my students. So is Miss Tico.”

Hux handed him a glass of Bloody Mary and exchanged it for a plate of bacon. It was nice to have one of their typical Saturday mornings from their youth. They sat in comfortable silence, letting the miserable vibe from Ben tell Armitage everything he needed to know.

”Think of it another way,” Hux cleared off his plate and dropped his dishes into the sink. “Three more months and you can ask her out. You won’t technically her superior anymore.”

”I don’t want to talk about her, or my father right now. Can we just go to the range like we planned and shoot the crap out of some targets?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! the next chapter that was supposed to be in junction with this one but there are some parts of it I wanted to edit/move around. I'm aiming on getting that part up this weekend!


	4. Chapter 4

The apartment was quieter than most days, a result of four hungover women. Rey didn’t even make it to her bed. She awoke on the couch with a blanket over her, the soft fleece keeping her warm in the otherwise chilly room. She tried to remember the events from the night before- it was hot, and crowded, and that she wanted to go home. She remembered vaguely dancing to ‘Hollaback Girl’ when it played on the jukebox. Her buzzed conversation with Ben was what stood at the forefront of it all, glaring at her like a giant red flag.

She couldn't ignore the fact that they had fun together while their friends abandoned them. They talked to each other as if they were just two people in a bar that had just met, riveting conversation topics that came one after the other. There was a moment where she wanted to ask him to dance when 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' came on, but one of his colleagues in the English department cut in to buy him a beer. She had a good time with him.

It was going to be difficult going to class on Monday and pretending that Friday night never happened.

Rose was already bustling about in the kitchen, the smell of hot greasy food making Rey’s mouth salivate. She was already showered and dressed in her favorite black cherry dress, an outfit Rose only wore when she was in a really good mood.

“Someone’s peppy today.” Rey tried to sneak a strip of bacon off the plate but Rose caught her and slapped her hand away.

“These are for everyone. And I’m fine... I just have a date this afternoon and I can’t wait!” The corners of Rose’s mouth turned upwards into the biggest smile Rey had ever seen. She could see Rose's excitement bubbling over as Rose sauntered over to a mirror to check her hair.

”What was that guy’s name again? Hugs?”

Rose sighed. ”His name is Armitage. His last name is Hux, thank you very much.”

Kay groaned and walked out of her bedroom. “How can you guys possibly be awake right now?” She hobbled over to the other girls, her hair resembling a bird's nest. She still wore the long shirt she had on the night before, only now there were some damp stains on the front that Rey did not want to ask her about.

”We stopped at four drinks, like we promised we would, Kay.” Rey urges her to sit at the dining table. “Rose has a date later today.”

“With Hugs?”

”Guys, Hux!” Rose turned off the stove and placed the finished breakfast plates in front of the four seats. “Please don’t make fun of him, I really like him. I think he really likes me too. We had a really good time last night at the bar.”

Rey gobbles down a strip of bacon and a bit of pancakes. She chewed between words, “We’re just kidding Rose. We’re glad you found someone you like. He seems to like you too.”

Even though Rey meant every word she said, she hoped that she could be in their situation, not messy, not complicated... just easy. Rose and Hux could go out on dates and not have to worry about how ethical their relationship is.

Rey liked Ben. Really liked him. But it was selfish of her to take advantage of a guy who thinks she smells nice, compatibility be damned. After her last attempt at love Rey was determined to at least get the same results. Jess ended up much happier with Kay. Maybe Ben could find that same happiness with some other omega. Being friends is better than being nothing. She could find another compatible alpha for herself, someone that didn't come with a ton of red tape and baggage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! There is another work attached to this one where I have short scenes from Rey and Ben's lives. Feel free to take a look!


	5. Chapter 5

She knew it was a bad idea to make an appointment with him, but Ben still was her professor. If she was struggling with an assignment, she had to get help to keep up her near perfect grade point average. Sure, they had a weird banter at the bar a couple days ago. Sure, her body told her to jump his bones. That was completely irrelevant. What mattered was getting an A on this assignment, even if being alone with Ben was going to be a problem.

He responded to her email late on Sunday night: _After every class for three hours are my regular office hours_. No signature, no formalities. Just a one line response.

Rey packed her things quickly after his lecture, opting to race to his office and just wait for him there. It would be strange to walk with him to his office, even if they did come from the same place. They would have to make small talk, kill the minutes that it took to get to their destination. At least she could calm herself down before he arrived.

She remembered bits and pieces from the night at the Cantina. Rose and Armitage dancing near the jukebox, Jess and Kay quarreling over the rules of darts, herself and Ben- Professor Solo- bonding over their love for cats and being alone. It was refreshing, to connect with someone that knew how isolating it could be to be surrounded by couples.

 _No, no_ , she told herself. _You’re not looking for a relationship right now._ Stop it.

She smelled him before she saw him. He gave her a half smile before unlocking his office door. No apologies for being late, no other greeting whatsoever.

He didn’t lie to her when he said he brought his cat to work. The first thing Rey noticed in his office was the black shorthair that glared at her from the windowsill. Ben made his way over to the large feline and it nuzzled his large hand. It’s stiff body immediately relaxed and the low hum of a purr enchoed in the relatively bare room.

Aside from his desk littered with papers against the far wall, there were very few pieces of furniture in his office; a spare desk with a stool that faced his desk, a litter box hidden behind a file cabinet across from his desk, and two bowls for food and water on the top of said cabinet.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you brought your cat here.”

”I don’t kid when it comes to Mister Midnight.” Ben dumped his belongings on the ground beside his desk, taking out his laptop and he began to type his password in. “You said you wanted me to look at your first essay?”

They spent the next two hours working out the kinks in her essay. She’ll admit that he did know how to write and how to teach good writing. She prided herself every time his bright red comments on her Word document were marked ‘Resolved’. Why she avoided writing essays at all cost in her childhood, she’ll never understand anymore. It helped that having Ben near her made her feel calmer, his scent reassuring her that she was fine and safe where she was.

She noticed him taking a look at her every so often while she rewrote some passages. It warmed her face quite a bit and she hoped that he couldn’t tell. It was embarrassing to be like this over a guy. It felt so different than what she had with Jess, less puppy love, more passion. Her heart quickened every time he spoke, excited and clinging on to his every word.

She was weak in the knees for Ben Solo, her damn professor.

 _Knock, knock_.

“Ben, why didn’t you answer me?” A voice at the door queries. It belonged to a beautifully aged woman, with the same dark hair as the man across from her. Her eyes met Rey's and she noticed the same light she sees in Ben's eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll wait outside."

"It's okay, I was just about to leave," Rey said. "I'll work on the rest at home, Be-Professor."


	6. Chapter 6

Ben has pretty good self-discipline, but it gets thrown out the window in the presence of his mother. In her eyes, he's still four feet tall, playing with Legos, and needed a ride to soccer practice. She's tried to set up these kinds of lunches countless times before. No matter how many times he'd say no, or make up excuses, she always got him to concede. He was like his father that way; he ended up doing whatever Leia wanted him to do.

That's how they ended up in the university's busiest cafe at the peak of the lunch rush. It was his least favorite place to eat.

"You know why I'm here," his mother said, taking a bite out of her sandwich. "I need your help Ben. And I wanted to make amends for all those years of fighting." She chewed between every couple of words, as if what she needed to say was bubbling out of her.

"What makes you think that now is the best time to reconcile?"

"Your father passing away, for one."

So it was going to be this kind of lunch.

Ben was used to these quasi-casual, quasi-business lunches with his mother. Most of the meals they shared qualified as such. She had something she wanted him to do, something she knew he hated but with the social restraints that prevented him from storming out in a fuss. There was a reason to why she picked the cafeteria.

If he were younger, he would have no problem making a scene. When he raised his voice it resembled a microphone; something acceptable in a war zone, not so much in a civilian setting. He would storm out and leave her a mess, with everyone in the cafeteria staring at her. But present Ben noticed the dark circles and heavy eyes of a woman in mourning. His scowl softened, not seeing her pain sooner. For the first time in his life, his mother was drained.

"Ben please," his mother chided. "I'm trying. Really trying. We just have each other now. I-" Leia steadied her breath and in doing so released the tears she had kept in for the past week. “I hated how we left things.”

His jaw tightened. ”I’m not sorry for doing what I wanted with my life.”

”I know. I’m sorry for how I reacted.”

Ben couldn’t tell if she was just telling him what he wanted to hear. A politician by choice, his mother always knew exactly what to say and when to say it. It’s what made her a great senator and a shitty mom. But seeing her cry, _really_ cry, in a public space no less, wrenched his heart.

He didn't hate his mother. They were much closer in his youth, she doted on him right up until she started running for office. Leia was a model mother until she started putting her career before her son. As bitter as he still felt when he first cut contact with his family, he still carried the memory of his much happier youth.

What Ben did hate was his sentimentality; he grew attached to things much too easily. He once pet sat his kindergarten friend's golden retriever for a weekend. His mother didn't want it in the house, but Ben insisted that it would be more comfortable in his room. Even though they had only spent a weekend together, the dog had taken to following Ben everywhere he went. When his friend returned, the dog ran away from Ben and into the arms of his owner, licking their face and barking excitedly. Ben decided that he didn't like dogs after that. Maybe this time will be different.

“I’m doing fine, thanks for asking. I did it on my own without family money or string pulling.”

”I’m proud of you for that, Ben. I’m not just saying that.” His mother looked pensively into her side bowl of chicken noodle soup, grasping for the words she tried to tell him for years. “It’s just me and you now.”

Ben could feel the Han-sized void in his mother heart that mirrored his. He took her free hand. They stayed like that until they finished their meals, in silence.

* * *

Her dining hall uniform always smelled like fried food, no matter how many times Rey tried to launder it. It didn't matter anyway; as she opened the door to the apartment the smell of chicken tikka masala hit her like a brick wall. Rose danced as she cooked, her favorite playlist playing the one song that Rey liked.

"Is it almost done?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm trying to slow cook it. I needed me time in the kitchen."

Rey grabbed a spoon and took a spoonful of sauce when Rose was distracted. The warm curry melted her stress away. Rey was jealous of her friend's innate talent for the culinary arts. Despite her four years working at the dining hall, she could never quite make her own dishes taste as good as Rose's.

"You should go out dancing on your next date with Hugs."

"Hux."

Rey took out the placemats and began to set the table. "Exactly what I said. How are things with him?"

Rose told her all about their picnic date at the park. The one they went to was Rey's favorite, as it sat on a hill and had a view of the entire city from the top. After eating they cloudgazed, and pointed out different images they saw in the sky. After she told Rey that he bought her a bunch of balloons Rey smiled and shook her head, incredulous.

"Did you guys just reenact parts of _Up_?"

Rose blushed. "It might have been my idea." She set Rey's plate in front of her and she sat down. "It was cute! I think I might be in love."

Rey almost spit out her food. "Rose, please don't be so delusional. You guys went out on exactly one date. One and a half if you count the bars."

Rose shook her head and continued to eat in silence. Rey loved her friend and her many talents, but she grew attached too easily. It could be because Rose is an idealist, an optimist about everyone and everything. Her positive attitude kept Rey from spiraling too far into a depressive episode, but also caused her to bruise easily.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Rey said in a low voice.

Rose gave her a half-smile and said nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

A second workshop in a week was too much, wasn’t it?

Rey couldn’t stop herself from staying behind after the morning lecture was over. She was looking forward to spending time with him, no matter the circumstances. She couldn’t resist. She waited until most of the students had filed out of the lecture hall before walking up to him.

“Be- Professor, I wanted to run my semi-final draft by you before turning it in.” Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a flicker of a smile cross his face. He was in a good mood today.

“Good. I was reading it before class. I had some notes.”

They exited the classroom into the breezy quad. For a moment Rey couldn’t smell Ben, and it felt alien. Though they only had spent time together twice, she felt at ease around him. It was like a gentle blanket for her senses, pulling her nervousness into a gentle slumber.

“I wanted to ask who that woman was. On Monday.” She hoped her voice wasn't loud enough for the passerby to eavesdrop.

”My mother.” Ben frowned. His dark hair blew into his face and he tried to shake it back into place. “That was the first time I’d seen her in a decade.”

”Face-to-face?” She asked. Ben nodded. “I know how it feels, to be away from family.”

He held the door open to the English building. Once inside, the smell of apples, citrus, and spice wafted her way once again. Rey didn't even notice the tension she held in her shoulders until her scent blanket relaxed her.

”How long has it been for you?” He asked.

”Fifteen years, give or take.”

”I’m sorry. My father died too, recently.”

”They didn’t die.”

They arrived at their office, and Rey brought the attention back to her essay. He was proud of how far the quality of her writing had become, no matter how tiresome it was to correct her verb tenses. He didn’t bring up her family again, which was a relief.

Mister Midnight liked to jump on Ben’s desk while they continued working on their separate projects. He settled near Ben's laptop charger, the warmth keeping the cat content in the otherwise cold room. They finished working on her essay an hour ago, but neither moved from their seats. Rey didn’t start her shift for another hour, and Ben didn’t seem to mind the company. She avoided looking in his general direction, but she caught him glancing over at her once or twice.

Ben breaks the silence first. "I'm sorry for assuming... about your parents. Earlier."

Rey gives him a half-smile. "It's okay. You didn't know. It's not something I tell a lot of people anyway."

"What did happen, if you don't mind me asking?"

The way she told the story made Ben feel like he was there, at that cursed carnival. Hours of waiting, wishing the people she loved most would return for her. Though over a decade has passed, the stinging feeling in her heart still lingered. In the back of her mind, Rey had always thought that her parents stopped wanting her; there was something wrong with her that even her parents couldn't fix, and that was why they gave up on her. The following years with her foster father weren't that much different. At least he told her outright that he didn't like her.

He was quiet for a while until he could grab the courage to explain his own situation.

He was destined to become some kind of businessman, and nothing that he wanted really mattered. His parents had groomed him to become the successor of his father's business once he retired, but instead he chose to go to military academy to serve and get his Bachelor's. He told her about his old graduate school mentor, Snoke. A person he thought was someone he could shape himself after, but was only molding him to replace himself as the head of the English department. His whole life he had a role he was expected to fulfill, a person to become. Never once was he asked what Ben wanted to do, even when he tried to make that decision himself.

Ben's cat settles himself on Rey's desk, her laptop put away and her hands stroking the length of his body. They sit there for a while, the only sound in the room being the purr of Mister Midnight. It wasn't uncomfortable like the first time, though. There was a sense of understanding between them; they were both broken people. The kind of people that bring their damage into a relationship. A sad kind of energy.

"I wanted to ask you something. You don't need to answer or anything but-“

"I feel it too.”

If the circumstances were different, Ben would ask her out on a proper date, like a gentleman. But they lived in the real world, and if they gave into their emotions, they would both be kicked out of the school, designation rights be damned.

"We both know the rules," Ben said. "As long as you're my student, we can't be in a relationship."

"I know. I can't drop this class because it's the only general education class that fits my schedule."

"What now?"

That was the big question, wasn't it? Waiting would be torture, but at least they could spend time with one another in class and in his office. If the way her scent drove him wild told Ben anything, it was that she was worth waiting for. It was silly to feel this way for someone he's had a few conversations with, but he was a goner. Rey was _it_. His body was sure of it, his heart was too. His mind needed a little more convincing, given the restrains given, but it could work.

Rey looked at him with softened eyes. "I like how it is now. I'm willing to look like a teacher's pet for a while." His smiled, and it was like drinking in honey. Her face started to heat up as she debated on saying what came to her mind- “Your scent. I-I don’t usually think any alphas smell good. But yours is almost too _much_.”

Crap.

She gave him some lame excuse and many apologies to avoid knowing what his reaction was. What she said was stupid and it never should have left her head space. Of course a little, weak omega like her would fawn over how good he smelled; anyone with a nose would be head over heels for him. Her foster father always told her that her place was in the home, serving her alpha as nature intended.

Rey shut the door to his office just a tad more forcefully than she would usually. As she speed walked home, her thoughts kept up that same pace- loud, annoying, and increasingly pessimistic.

On one hand, she was on cloud nine. Her feelings were reciprocated, and she felt a genuine connection with Ben. On the other hand, were her genetics just trying to convince her of that fact? All of these events just Seemingly coming into place at a convenient time, right when she’s about to make a big move forward in her career.

It was complicated. Her stomach formed knots. She couldn’t think properly.

As soon as she entered her apartment, she collapsed on the couch.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting! Me and my husband moved into a van this week, and it's been really stressful trying to plan out everything. With that and my anxieties over the coronavirus, I haven't been able to write anything. I'm hoping this all blows over soon.  
> A note on the new tags- Mental Health Issues, Anxiety, Depression: If Ben and Rey were regular humans they would definitely suffer from mental health issues in some form or another. I'm not planning on delving into it really seriously for now, but if that changes I will put a warning before the chapter.

When Rey awoke the living room was washed with gold, and it took her a moment to realize that several hours had passed. She checked her phone and sure enough, she had missed her shift. Their resident assistant Finn sent her a text message around the time her shift was about to start: _Kaydel told me that you were passed out on the couch, so I covered for you. Are you okay?_

Finn was friends with Kay, but he didn’t really spend time at the apartment with the rest of the girls. He and Kay were both studying communications. They mostly spent their time drinking bubble tea and studying until the library closed. Rey knew of him, but not much about him.

She contemplated sending a reply, but she realized he was already in the room. Finn raised a hand in greeting and continued his study session with Kay. They were in deep focus mode, disturbing it would only bring her disdain.

”Thank you for covering for me. I owe you,” she said anyway.

Finn didn’t look up from his worksheet. “Don’t mention it. Are you doing okay though?”

”Yeah... I’ve just been overworked. You know the feeling.”

Finn hummed in agreement.

Something jumped onto her blanket, causing her to flinch. It settled into her lap and it took a moment for Rey to process why Mister Midnight was in her apartment.

The sound of quickened footsteps grew louder as Rose caught up with the feline. She must have kept him in her room for a tad too long judging by the way he hisses at her.

Rose frowned and stared him down. “That cat is impossible.”

”Why is Midnight here?” Rey asked.

“Hux and Solo left for a funeral and Hux asked me if I could watch the cat while they were gone. I said yes, because of course I love pets. But this one,” she tried to pick him up but he hissed and pawed at her hand, “was being impossible. He seems to like you, though. Why is that?”

Rey stroked her hand through his soft fur. She could smell small traces of Ben in his fur, an aroma that eased her light-headedness. Midnight’s paws kneaded the fleece blanket, an audible purr that was music to her ears.

”I’ve been going to Solo’s office hours lately. To improve my writing.”

Despite her perfectly valid excuse, Rose raised her eyebrows suggestively, a non verbal indication that meant she _knew_ the other reason why Rey attended his office hours. Unfortunately for Rey, Rose had a strong nose and as a fellow Omega she could just as easily scent Ben during class. Finn and Kay were oblivious to this conversation, but she didn’t want to risk voicing those particular problems aloud.

Midnight settled into her lap and his slowed breathing indicated that she was his new bed. “Damn, I was just about to grab a bite. I don’t think I can move now.”

Rose entered the kitchen and grabbed herself and Rey a sandwich. As Rey chomped on the the tuna sandwich, Rose whipped out her cellphone and took a quick photo- forgetting that she left the flash on.

Rey tried to get up from her spot, but Rose held up a finger. "He hasn't taken a nap all day. I'm not sending this to anyone, I promise... Just to Ben." She saw Rey’s eyes widen with fear. She chuckled. “I’m just showing him that his cat is doing just fine!”

She had his number. Ben’s personal phone number. It was stupid to feel jealousy, but it was a natural response, a reflex. As if Rey needed to text him, anyway. She still felt embarrassment over what slipped out of her mouth hours ago. She didn’t need to commit another faux pas so soon; a distraction would be more suited.

Her phone vibrated. She assumed Rose forwarded her the photo she took, but the sender was unknown: _Midnight seems to like you. I hope he’s not being a brat._

”Your welcome,” Rose said, taking a sip of Rey’s water before handing it back. She disappeared back into the room, leaving Rey to take care of the poor feline.

Her fingers flew around her keyboard as she formulated a response: _He’s doing fine with me. He didn’t like Rose very much though._ She smiled and held her phone close, a secret that she didn't- couldn't- share with anyone else.

It wasn't technically a romantic relationship. Students can be friends with their professors. Jessika went to the bars every week with her Latin professor and the rest of her class. What she had with Ben was just strictly that, a friendship. It didn't matter that her heart fluttered with every text he sent, or that every witty comment she sent spread a smile on her face.

It's perfectly innocent.


	9. Chapter 9

The only thing that Ben looked forward to this weekend was the plane ride back. Hux was beside him, munching on pretzels and enthralled in the thriller movie playing on his screen. Ben tried to concentrate on the flight path shown on the seat in front of him; only 15 more minutes and he could go back to the life he had before this weekend.

The last time Ben had attended a funeral was when his grandfather passed. It was one of the few times in his life that he'd seen both his uncle and mother cry. When his mentor Snoke passed on he chose to dive into his work instead of attending his memorial services. Snoke was not a man Ben needed to mourn, anyway; Ben was just a means to an end with him.

His father’s funeral was very small, with only close friends and family: Ben, his mother, Ben’s blood uncle, and two family friends Ben considered uncles. Sure, he had seen his mother the week before and Uncle Chewie two months ago when he came to town, but aside from those two days it had also been several years since he had seen anyone. Ben chugged the rest of his diet soda as the events of the past weekend came back into memory: Uncle Luke making a passive aggressive comment on Ben’s choice of career, Uncle Chewie suggesting they play a few hands of poker, and his mother chastising all of them as they pulled out of the cemetery parking lot. There was a reason that he didn't visit him hometown very often, and they were the reasons why.

His father would have wanted it that way. Han Solo didn’t like to dwell on things that upset him for very long, and chose to redirect his energy into some things that were less depressing or overwhelming. He couldn’t even handle being in the delivery room when Ben was being born, so his mother said. Han would always interject and correct her by saying that he couldn’t stand to see his wife in so much pain. This was the same man who sliced the side of his hand and called it a cat scratch.

His mother recanted this story in the car on their way back to the Solo-Organa household. “You got that from Han, Ben,” Leia said. “His selflessness.”

Luke scoffed.

Ben turned from his seat to face his uncle. “You have been on my ass the minute I got here. What is your problem?”

Luke crossed his arms from the very back of the minivan. “Don’t get offended, but I don’t think you’ve been very selfless these last few years Ben,” he said. “You haven’t visited your only family in who know how long. The one time you do it’s when your father dies, and I’m pretty sure it’s only to see what you’ll get in his will.”

Ben had never been more offended in his life. Nothing good would come out of this conversation right now.

He was glad that he'd gotten out of there when he did, because Ben was sure he was going to get into a fist fight with a 60 year old man in his mother's front yard. The weekend was passing at a snail's pace at that point, and the longer he had to stay in that town the more worried he was that he wouldn't be able to escape.

* * *

For once Rey was alone in the apartment. The other girls went out to dinner while Rey laid on the couch, staring at the ceiling and trying to drown out Midnight’s yowling; he did not enjoy being a carrier.

“Just a few more minutes kitty,” she said. “Your dad is coming here soon.”

The weekend had mostly been uneventful for Rey. She spent most of it writing a lab report and studying for one of her upcoming midterms. She also may have been distracted for much of the weekend sending text after text with Ben. It was like she was in high school again, nervously awaiting a reply from the cute older guy way out of her league; except this time the guy actually liked her back.

Knock knock.

Rey fished a treat out for Midnight before smoothing her sweats and opening the door.

He looked a little frazzled. Irritated, even. She noticed his fist tighten and his throat gulp when their eyes met. After several days of not being in contact with him, Rey started to feel similarly.

“You smell strange,” he said.

Ben looked down on her and tried to avoid her body as he let himself into Rey’s apartment. He picked up the pet carrier and cooed at his precious cat. Midnight's yowls lessened at the sight of his proper caretaker.

“I’m doing great, thanks for asking,” she said sarcastically. “Midnight did fine. How was the flight?”

"Long and boring. The funeral was a bit more interesting.” Ben unlatched the pet carrier to cuddle and pet Midnight. “How was your weekend?”

”I mostly just studied. And texted you. I think I’m getting sick though, because I’m running a fever and coughing. I tried chugging a bunch of Emergen-C and Tamiflu but nothing has been working.”

Ben looked at Rey intently for a moment, then shook his head. “Probably just a really bad flu. It’s messing with your scent too. It’s... different.”

She noticed he pursed his lips, as if he was stopping himself from saying anything else. He's never commented on her scent before. Rey knew that it must be as irresistible as his scent is to her, but he never mentioned it aloud until now. Did she stink? Something more had to be going on with her if her scent is out of wack.

Rey sat on the sofa opposite Ben and Midnight and watched him dote over his furry friend. He didn’t show much emotion during class or office hours, but it was something about that cat that made Ben become a big softie. He caught her smiling at the two of them.

“I’ve had Midnight since grad school,” he said. “I was drunk and felt impulsive, so I bought a cat online. He was a rescued feral kitten.” Midnight settled in his lap, purring contentedly. “It took a lot of patience to get here, but it was worth it.”

“He’s a good cat. He still doesn’t like Rose though.”

”It takes him a while to get comfortable with other people.”

”It didn’t take that long with me.”

”You’re different.”

Rey pulled out one of Midnight’s feather toys and the two watched him hunt the feather around the living room. She glanced at Ben for a moment and thought that her life could just be like this. Two totally platonic friends hanging out with their cat. There was something about that thought that both comforted her and terrified her.

* * *

Ben’s body still held as much tension as it did when he walked into her apartment. He didn’t imagine it to look, well, so youthful. They didn’t have too large of age gap between them, but he didn’t remember having a bookshelf dedicated to alcohol. A shelf, maybe, but not a floor to ceiling bookshelf. 

“I promise I didn’t empty those bottles by myself,” Rey said. “Jess and Rose like to save the nice looking ones.”

“Miss Tico?”

“You can just call her Rose, Ben. We’re not in class.” Rey smirked. “She’s really happy with Armitage. How did you guys become friends?”

“We were in bunk buddies during basic training. He would bother me every day because I was the only one that knew how to keep my space clean so the drill sergeant wouldn’t cut him a new one.”

“I didn’t know you were in the army.”

“We went to military college. I got my undergraduate degree paid for while I served.”

Rey adjusted her position on the couch and brushed up against Ben’s forearm. She was as warm as he imagined she was. It was only a brief moment, but it felt as if a jolt of electricity ran through his veins. A flush rushed to his cheeks, and he angled himself in the hopes that she wouldn’t notice his embarrassment.

He knew that the situation was... unusual, to say the least. He wasn’t one to have many friends, much less one he thought of romantically. Was the giddiness and nervousness he felt when being in her presence what adolescent Alphas go through? If so, he was glad to have missed that in high school. 

Ben didn’t consider himself to be self-conscious in front of most people. In fact, he didn’t care what most people thought of him. Doctor Snoke and his mother did have an influence in his self-image but since Snoke’s passing and the lunch with his mother, he’s since shrugged off that pressure. At this moment, however, he was acutely aware of his unwashed hair and outfit he’s been wearing for two days straight.

Rey turned to look at him, studying his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You know I can tell when your scent spikes, right?” She chuckled lightly. “You can’t hide it, so spill.”

Ben sighed in defeat. “My clothes are dirty. And I need a shower, badly.”

Rey smiled. “That’s stupid- sorry, not stupid, but you don’t need to worry about it. I don’t care about that.” She bent down to grab Midnight and placed him in her lap. He purred in response. “It makes your scent stronger... it’s not a bad thing.”

The sound of keys rattling at the door startle them and Ben shifts in his seat. Rose and Armitage walk through the door, laughing at a joke Rose made. Rose notices the two on the couch and smirked.

“Hey Rey... Ben.” The two of them resume their conversation and disappear into Rose’s room. She definitely knew they were doing more than just picking up a cat.

“I should probably get going. Thanks for taking care of Midnight for me.” Ben grabbed Midnight and placed him into his pet container. He smiled at Rey before closing her apartment door.

Maybe he was a little more self-conscious now than he thought he was. Especially with Rey... especially because of Rey. He refused to admit it fully, but he didn’t want to share her with anyone when he was with her. Attribute it to his designation- an Alpha in the presence of Omega tends to be a little possessive, mated or not. All he wanted to do was bundle her up in a pile of blankets and watch crime procedurals with her. The thought of her cozied up in his bed started to increase his temperature. 

That woman was going to be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I hope you guys are all staying home and safe.


	10. Chapter 10

Their pas de deux soon became a habit. 

Rey would wait for him at the end of lecture, and they walked together to his office. She would show him the essay she was working on, or ask him questions about her homework. She would play with Mister Midnight, who began to favor her over Ben; he was not so amused at that fact. They would work on their separate projects once Rey finished her classwork. 

They talked about everything under the sun as they worked- food ("Rey, 'everything and anything' isn't a food." "It is when you go days eating only bread rolls."), the weather ("Of course you would love the fog." "What's wrong with that?" "You like it because it makes you look like a character from Wuthering Heights."), and what they wanted out of life ("Believe it or not, I don't actually want to be a writer." "I couldn't tell, judging from all the time you spend in my office"). 

It was nice. Comfortable. Not totally what she wanted, but Rey didn’t have control over that.

Rey was so distracted with her friendship with Ben that she didn’t notice her worsening condition of the flu. She was in tune with her body, at least that's what she would tell herself. She did yoga on occasion and tried to eat relatively healthy. Rey tried every home remedy under the sun- clear liquid cleanses, immune support drinks, cough syrup by the bottles. Nothing worked. 

She spent the past weekend in her room sick as a dog. Everyone else went out to the bars but all she cared about right now was getting better in time so she could study for her systems engineering midterm.

Rey didn’t mind a weekend indoors- in fact, that’s how she spent most weekends; it was the fact that she couldn’t move without every muscle aching. It was torture. But at least she had this- her (slowly recovering) health, her apartment, with her friends that love her, and a person that... she was quite optimistic about. She couldn't have asked for anything more than what she had already, and she was grateful for that. It was too bad that in a couple of months all of that would change.

She hadn't told anyone- not even her roommates and best friends- that she was planning to graduate a semester early. She definitely could have dropped a class and taken it next semester and graduate with Jess and Kay, but the $20,000 she would have to pay up would be better spent on... literally anything else. A car, a new apartment to her new job, maybe that three-dimensional printer that she’s been eyeing for several years.

The apartment the four girls shared was eerily quiet. It was strange to not have the other three in the house to keep Rey company. For now, she settled on chicken noodle soup and reruns of her favorite show, Star Trek. That’s all the company she needed right now. 

Maybe being here, sitting in bed to think, was what Rey needed. The last ten years of her life was spent so focused on school and building up a career that now, as she entered the last phase of her plan, she realized she didn't plan for the part after she graduated. 

It should have been obvious- get an internship or an entry-level job at a small firm and work her way up to the top. That would make her happy, right? She'd never have to worry about being hungry, cold, or bored ever again. Anything she needed she could get in a snap. That is the dream... that's what everyone else wants.

No matter how many times she repeated those words in her head, she couldn't get herself to believe it. It was as if she had tunnel vision this whole time, so focused on the end goal that nothing else in her life get developed.

Did she even have a hobby?

* * *

Luckily for Rey the antibiotics she found in the medicine cabinet worked like a charm. Monday morning she woke up bright and cheery. Sure she still had a shitty week, but it definitely could have been worse. She could have been a teenager again with her terrible foster family, with the piles of garbage and hair and animals and junk and...

Rey still felt off. She was more anxious than usual, and she usually felt cold, especially in the fall; however, the last few days she felt overly warm. She tried to ignore it the whole week but judging by Ben’s glances during office hours he knew something had changed. The other day she wore only a tank top to her lab. She got some odd stares, but being one of three girls in an engineering lab, it was something she was accustomed to. Rose told her it was something about her chakras being misaligned, but that was some hippie mumbo-jumbo.

Jess came back from work late on Thursday night. Rey heard the door rattle and her things topple over as Jess opened the door. She cursed as she scrambled for her things.

"Kriff!" Jess said as she shut the door. "You will not believe the night I just had." Jess paused to sniff the air and slowly turned to look Rey directly in the eye. "Rey..."

"What?"

"You shouldn't be out like that."

Rey narrowed her eyes. "Who are you, Kay? I've just been running a little hot lately. You would think a girl could wear a tank top in her own apartment."

"No, kid... You're about to go into heat."

Rey's heart spotted. "No, that can't be... I'm still on my suppressants."

"Well have you taken anything recently that could interfere with its effectiveness? Binge drunk? Taken hallucinogens?"

"...I-I had the flu last weekend. I found some antibiotics leftover when Rose was sick, but-"

Jess sighed. "Kriff, Rey. You couldn't have at least asked me about it? You know I'm going to medical school next year, right?"

"I didn't want to bother you.”

Rey could see Jess's eyes began to dilate, her breathing deepened, and she started to look like what most other alphas looked like to Rey: large, aggressive, and scary. Jess kept close to the walls with her fists balled up and keeping as far a distance from Rey as she could. "You should go hide in your room.” She told Rey. “Find a single alpha that can take care of you. From what I’ve read, alpha-less heats are extremely painful."

"Jess, I'm-"

"It's okay, Rey. I'll be fine. I just- I'm starting to think of you as something other than a friend, and if you know anything about me, you'd stay as far away from me as you can."

Rey never saw a reaction from an alpha like that. She was pretty good about taking her suppressants on time, every single day since she presented. She even went to the doctor to see if she could up her dosage even more the other week so that she wouldn't act all weird with Ben, but the doctor told her she was on the highest dose she could take without overdosing. For most of her life she didn't worry about scary alphas trying to intimidate her or get in her pants; she elected to avoid heats by taking her suppressants religiously. 

Rey headed to her room and sat with a bundle of blankets and started to file for heat leave. As if her life didn't get any harder, she still had to keep up with her schoolwork while she stayed at home.

It wasn’t fair. 

* * *

The next morning Rey felt both incredibly numb and overly sensitive. Even though she had drops of sweat pooling from the sides of her forehead, she still had the urge to wrap herself up in her blankets like a burrito. 

Her first instinct was to send a text to Ben: _hey, I’m not going to make it to class today. send me the notes?_

A few minutes went by (an eternity for Rey) and he responded: _Of course. Are you okay?_

She contemplated on whether or not she should tell him the truth. It’s a little inappropriate to tell your professor-slash-good-friend that you’re in heat... especially since he’s an Alpha and smells incredible to her. On one hand, she could just tell him she got a bad case of the flu. On the other hand, her leave status is marked on her student record and he’s figure it out anyway. She’s in such a delirium that she doesn’t even realize what her fingers are typing until long after she sent the text. 

_i’m on leave for the week. i wasn’t sure if i should tell you given our situation but i thought you should know from me. sorry that i haven’t been visiting much this week. had a huge midterm and my symptoms were starting to show and I’ve been trying to pick up more hours at the dining hall since christmas is coming up. do you celebrate christmas? would it be weird if i got you something? by the time i give it to you the semester will already be over so i wouldn’t be your student anymore. sorry i’m rambling_

She wished she had the energy to slap herself in the face. That was a huge load to just hand off to him. Kriff, she just couldn’t stop herself from rattling on about anything with him. He made her nervous, like she had to say something cool in order to keep up appearances.

It shouldn’t matter that much to her. It really shouldn’t. 

She hid her phone under her bed to avoid reading his response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while to get back to writing fully, and it feels really good. I hope you guys are enjoying reading this as I am writing it.


	11. Chapter 11

Ben kept a respectful distance the whole week Rey was on leave. He kept to his usual routine- teaching, research, and his office hours- with the latter feeling drastically different in her absence. He stopped replying to her texts from the time being- he thought it was best, considering the state of her mind. They weren't exactly the kind of texts he considered appropriate in the light of day anyway. When it was over, maybe he’d bring her favorite take out... as a thank you for taking care of his cat. 

His office hours were almost over when a knock at his door broke his focus. The door opened and Rose stuck her head in. Her nose was a bright red, matching the rings around her pupils.

“Is this a bad time?”

“You can come in.” He tapped on the wooden desktop beside him as she shut the door behind her. In her hand were more than a few tissues, all of them used. 

Rose sniffled, wiping away the teardrops that started to pool on the desktop. “Did Armie tell you he was getting deployed?”

Ben paused. “He did.”

She stared at him absently, her liveliness nearly drained out of her. This wasn't the first time Hux had left a brokenhearted girl behind for Ben to console. When they were roommates Ben grew accustomed to this routine. After a few years apart, Ben thought Hux would have grown out of this behavior by now. He was wrong,

Rose’s voice was low and solemn. “Do you think he even cared about me? He didn’t even tell me until he was already in the cab.”

“When did this happen?”

The tears flooded her eyes again as she tried to speak between sobs, “Like, half an hour ago.” 

“Fuck.” Ben shook his head. He held out his hand and Rose squeezed it tightly. “Sorry, I meant that I’m sorry he fucked you over like that.” He handed her one of his emergency dark chocolate bars from his desk drawer. “I haven’t always agreed with the how Hux treats the women he dates.”

“I’m not the first one he's done this to?”

Ben paused and tried to choose his words carefully; one wrong word could send her into a spiral. “Unfortunately, no. Whenever he comes back stateside he likes to have a fling before his next assignment.”

She unwrapped the bar and took a few bites. Her tears began to dry up, leaving behind streaks from her ruined makeup. “I just feel so... stupid.”

“You’re not stupid.”

“Yeah I am.”

“Rose.” Ben looked her dead in the eyes and squeezed her hand tighter. “You’re not stupid. You’re just a woman who fell hard for an asshole that didn’t treat you like you deserved. I don’t know you that well, but you seem a lot stronger than you look. You're going to bounce back from this. Fuck him, anyway; you’re better off without him.”

Rose shot her wadded up tissues in the wastebasket, making quiet swishing noises after each one. She gave his a small smile, and Ben thought that he saw the color return to her face. “Thank you. Why couldn’t I have gone out with someone like you?”

“I’m your professor, Miss Tico.”

“Rose. And being a professor hasn’t stopped you. Obviously.”

“That’s not fair.”

“I'm just saying. She hasn’t dated anyone in two years, and she’s a lot more fragile than I am, believe it or not.”

“Rose, I’m not Hux. How is she doing?”

Rose’s ringtone went off. “Rey says her heat’s nearly over. Did you want to come over and have dinner? I’m making lasagna.”

* * *

Their apartment had a noticeably stronger scent than usual. Most of the time Ben couldn't stand the smell, but this time around Rey's scent stood out the most, making it at least tolerable. Ben’s breath quickened and his eyes dilated by instinct, his eyes falling to the couch where Rey splayed out for the afternoon. She snored with her mouth open. Her hair was damp and strands stuck to her forehead. Clothes stuck to her sweaty body and despite this, Ben still found her beautiful, if not more with the waning pheromones of her heat still invading his senses. 

“Rey!” Rose shook her shoulder. "Ben's here. He's eating dinner with us."

At the sound of his name, Rey shot up, confused. She turned to look at him and tried to smooth her hair, muttering apologies for her state.

"How was your week?" He asked her.

"It was... fine." She pursed her lips, clearly wanting to say more but restraining herself from saying much more than that. She changed the subject. "So you're here for Rose's lasagna. It's probably the best thing on this planet."

Throughout their dinner Ben glanced at Rose to try and read her facial expressions. Despite being dump just a few hours ago, she had on her usual room-brightening smile. The four girls chatted on like it was just a normal Friday night for them; they complained about upcoming tests, gossiped about who was definitely hooking up with who at work, and planned out their Friday night. Kay and Jess were leaving after dinner to go to some experimental bar they'd heard about while Rose and Rey were planning to stay home.

"You're not going out with Armie tonight?" Kay asked her.

Ben noticed Rose's jaw clench. She gripped her fork tightly, the whites of her knuckles peeking through her skin. Before the tears in her eyes spilled over, Ben spoke. "He had to go do something at work tonight. Rose said the three of us were going to watch a movie, right?"

She looked relieved, and she smiled like her normal self. " _Charlie's Angels_. I'm finally getting around to seeing the new one."

The regular conversation resumed, and Rose turned to Ben and mouthed a _thank you_. 

He was going to have some talk with Hux after he came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you're interested, I made a playlist for this fic: [here it is if you want to check it out.](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0D40IRmXT1YQ5DajHG1vC2?si=47j213ALSD2eXicECHeyug) I update it with songs as they come to me, but feel free to recommend me any that you think go with the playlist.


	12. Chapter 12

Rose had fallen asleep a halfway into the movie. She was curled up on one side of the couch, the fleece blanket draped over her. Ben sat on the floor, opting to sit on the faux fur rug than smushed between Rey and Rose. 

As the credits rolled, Rey picked up the empty bowls of popcorn set on either side of the couch. “Thanks for coming over tonight. I’ve been going stir crazy all week.”

Ben stood up and began to place the pillows back on the couch. He never understood why women enjoyed having so many decorative pillows. He ended up with a row of several small pillows to lean on. It wasn’t the most comfortable seat. 

Rey turned off the sink and dried her hands off. “I sent you a copy of my thesis earlier. Did you have a chance to take a look at it?”

Ben shook his head. “Rose came by my office hours.”

“Why?” Rey cocked her head to the side and approached him slowly. “Is she okay?”

“Hux left. _Left_ , left.” Not wanting to say anything more, Ben grabbed his keys and his coat. “I better go. It’s getting late.”

She walked him to the door and he turned to face her. Their faces were inches apart. Ben could hear her breaths deepen, the air between them getting increasingly warm. 

“Don’t tell her I told you,” he whispered in a low voice.

“I won’t.”

“She’ll tell you when she’s ready.”

“Are you an expert on women, Solo?”

“I’d consider myself in touch with my feminine side.”

Ben smirked, and Rey returned the smile. Her eyes lingered on his for a while longer, their closeness becoming more apparent by the second. He wanted to reach out to her, hold her waist and pull her in even closer. He didn't even register it when she pressed her lips on his left cheek. 

She froze. Ben watched as the gears turned in her head, her mind probably wondering why the hell she did that and how anyone could have seen that. But he didn’t care. 

His arms found her waist as he pulled Rey closer. Their lips met, and it was... indescribable.

It was as if he was a pressure cooker and his lever was released. A steam cloud of feelings were being released- relief, excitement, _want_. He had built this moment up in his head and once he was in the moment, he never wanted it to end. 

How was it possible for something to be wrong but feel so right?

Ben was at odds with himself. On one hand, he had never felt so close or comfortable with another person in his life. On the other hand, they were still at the mercy of university policy, which could ruin both of their lives.

“What the fuck?”

The two jumped apart, startled by the three people walking towards them. Standing between Jess and Kay, Finn gawked at Ben and Rey’s no longer private display of affection. 

“You guys saw that too, right?”

Jess raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “It wasn’t a magic trick Finn.”

“They were just-“

“Yup.”

“But isn’t he-“

“Yes, Finn.”

Ben turned and whispered, “I’d better go.”

* * *

Rey didn't know how long Finn had been talking- lecturing was a better word. Although they were only acquaintances, Finn already gave her more than an earful.

She listened to the best of her ability, her face still flushed from kissing Ben and immediately getting caught. What were the odds of them getting caught in that hallway, one in a hundred thousand? She thought it was safe at that hour of night, but with her luck she would be struck with lightning tomorrow.

"Finn, I think she's heard enough," Jess said. "Plus, it's not a big deal. The semester's gonna end soon, and she wouldn't be in his class anymore."

"It doesn't matter if she's in his class, she'll still be an undergrad and that's still frowned upon!"

"I'm actually... graduating after this semester." Rey avoided eye contact with everyone in the room. She could tell they were staring at her- she was going to ruin their spring break plans, their commencement party, everything they were excited about as second semester seniors. "After this semester, I'm moving out."

She expected a flurry of responses, but all Rey got in return was silence. They must be angry with her. She knew Kay had been planning their spring break trip to Myrtle Beach for weeks already. They were supposed to do everything together, especially since they didn't know where they would all be after graduation. After four years of being such close friends, it felt like Rey was trying to run from that.

"I'm not trying to get away from you guys, I-I promise," Rey stammered. "I-I just can't afford to take out any more loans and I'm just so _tired_ of going to school I just-"

"Rey." Kay looked at her sincerely. She brought up a finger to Rey's face and wiped away a loose tear. "We're not mad at you for leaving. I wished you had told us sooner."

"I'm sorry." Rey looked at Finn and took a deep breath, allowing herself to be vulnerable and admit her real feelings aloud. "It's not going to happen again. Not until the semester's over." 

Finn crossed his arms. "Have you guys been hooking up all semester?"

Her face turns a bright scarlet. That's what everyone thought was going on between her and Ben? Sure, she noticed that his scent started to linger on her clothing. Sure, she spent an inordinate amount of time with him after class... and they did just catch them kissing.

Maybe it was right for them to assume such.

She pleaded with Finn, begged him not to report the misconduct to the Dean. It wouldn't just mean a suspension for the both of them; there was a high chance that Ben could be fired and barred from a career in academia forever. 

It took a lot of convincing from both her and the other two girls to make Finn keep their little secret. It took even more effort to convince that no, they weren't hooking up, and yes, that was their first kiss. As humiliating as it was, Finn took it and pinky swore not to tell.

It was good enough for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an eventful chapter...


	13. Chapter 13

She avoided him for two weeks. Mostly because she was still embarrassed from getting caught in a compromising position with Ben. But she also had a senior thesis to turn in and final projects to finish up... she had other things to think about.

Rey stopped visiting his office hours and instead emailed him her work to look over. Neither mentioned that night, and she couldn't imagine the conversation they would have to have later. All she could manage to do was send a simple text the night it happened: _I got it under control_.

At every lecture she sat in the front row with Rose, paying attention most of the time. She'd watch him pace around the front of the hall, talking excitedly about Sappho's poetry. It was amazing how fast Ben could talk when he was genuinely excited about something, that was one of the things Rey admired most about him. Those moments were what made her realize how much his absence affected her.

It took days of thinking and overthinking the situation, but Rey could finally acknowledge what she'd been trying to bury the entire semester: she was falling in love with Ben Solo. No matter how hard she tried to pull away or deny it, there was an irrefutable connection between them. She'd told him everything- her past, her dreams, her hope for the future. In the span of two months Ben had become the closest thing she's had to love. Real, unconditional love.

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving she decided that enough time had passed. As lame as it sounded, she really couldn't stand not being near him.

Most students were long gone before Wednesday morning. Their usually half-filled classroom had maybe a handful of students still there; Ben didn't make this morning's lecture mandatory, so only the teacher's pets came. The rest were already home with their families, enjoying the start of their Thanksgiving break before finals began.

As he walked into the lecture hall, Rey gave him a happy smile and he returned it.

She had a hard time focusing today. Maybe it was because his scent was especially nice today? At any rate, her notebook was completely blank and now she had an excuse to go to his office after class.

As the students left the lecture hall, Rey walked up to Ben, her blank notes in hand. "Are you free?"

They walked back to his office in awkward silence until Ben spoke up. "So about the other night-"

"I told you I took care of it. Finn isn't going to say anything. Can we not talk about it?" she said, cutting him off. She fumbled around her backpack as he opened his office door. "Trust me, it was a long and embarrassing conversation. Anyway, I have my second to last draft of my thesis printed. I wanted you to take one last look before I turn it in."

As they walked into his office, Midnight jumped down from the windowsill and sauntered over to Rey, rubbing his body on her leg. She picked him up and placed him down on her desk, stroking his back.

Rey watched Ben flip through her thesis at lightning speed, not even bothering to put any notes for her in the margins. When he finished reading, he looked up at her and said, "It's perfect."

She rolled her eyes. "You didn't even give me any notes."

"You don't need any."

"Yeah I do, there must be something. I could improve the flow, or visualize my methods better, or-"

Ben placed his hand on hers, looking at her intently. "Rey. We've been working on your thesis since the beginning of the semester. Most people take a whole year to get it together, but you managed to do it in a few months. When I say your thesis is perfect, I mean it."

He was right. 

Of course he was. 

But that wasn't what she was focused on anymore. Rey could feel his hand on hers, like an iron pressing down on her skin, giving her a first degree burn. She lowered her head to the floor and pulled her hand away, her face flushed. It was time to tell him. As she prepared to say the words that she feared wouldn't be reciprocated, she heard him speak.

"I think I'm love with you."

_What?_

She was stunned and couldn't stop replaying the moment in her head. The words hung in the air like a breath in winter. Rey's face turned a deeper shade of red, not knowing what to do, overwhelmed with some kind of emotions that went too fast for her to process. This wasn't really happening, was it? Ben couldn't have said that. She must have been hallucinating, probably because she didn't sleep all that well yesterday and-

"Rey."

It was a rare occurrence to hear someone use their alpha voice in public. Rey had never heard someone use it in real life before, only in movies. When Ben said her name in that tone, she couldn't help it but to listen to him. In an odd way, it was comforting to know that he said it first. The pressure was off her shoulders.

He wrapped his arms around her, his scent wrapping her in a hug for her nerves. He made eye contact with her again and in that same voice he said, "I mean it. I didn't think I would say it now, but I do."

"I...really want to kiss you right now," she whispered.

"I know."

Someone knocked and opened the door, causing the two to jump back and pretend they were working. Rose looked like the sun finally shone one her; her hair was braided down the side of her head and her athleisure clothing made her look like the person Rey knew before Hux. She rolled in a small pink suitcase, ready to go home for the holiday.

"You guys should be more careful what you guys say. Someone could be eavesdropping at the door," she smirked. "I just came by to say happy Thanksgiving. And that I really appreciated what you did for me, Ben."

Ben looked at her and gave her an earnest smile. "It's nice to see you with a smile on your face, Rose."

"It's still hard, but I have to keep a straight face for my parents. They would go crazy if they found out I had a boyfriend." Her eyes seem to look past him, almost empty, but she snaps back into reality just as quickly. "I should probably get going, but just in case you don't know this, the walls are very thin. No funny business."

Rey crossed her arms and blushed. "We weren't doing anything," she muttered.

"I saw you guys were about to kiss. You're not slick!" Rose closed the door behind her, leaving the two to their own devices.

They laughed, and Rey wondered if this was what it meant to feel loved. It felt good to not be alone; she had Ben, and he had her. That was all that mattered. Sure she still had final exams to worry about and internship applications to send in, but all she could focus on was the man across from her and his wide grin. 

He loved her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's coming to an end! i already have plans for a sequel fic, and i have a few ideas that i want to play around with. as always, thank you for reading and i hope you stay to read the next part of this series.


	14. Chapter 14

Ben couldn't stop texting her for most of the weekend.

Between the awkwardness between him and his uncle and his mother badgering him about settling down, Rey was a welcome relief to an otherwise miserable Thanksgiving weekend.

He felt bad about Rey spending her holiday all alone. As much as she insisted that this was her weekend to binge watch cartoons- an annual tradition- it didn't seem right for her to spend Thanksgiving that way. That’s why he asked her to babysit Midnight. At least she has a cat to keep her company, and maybe some of his lingering scent will comfort her.

Dinner that night was a large spread of every traditional dish you could think of- turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole- all thanks to the lovely catering of the grocery store. Han was the one that usually organized and cooked holiday dinners, if his memory served him right. He appreciated the effort his mother put into making sure the first Thanksgiving without Han went without a hitch.

For most of the dinner Ben spent listening to Leia and Luke talk to each other rather than participating. He didn't really have anything to add. What was he going to say, he fell in love with one of his students and is sort of dating her? That probably wouldn't go very well.

A few drinks into dinner, Ben’s childhood was brought up. “You were so cute in your Montessori uniforms,” Leia said. She scrolled through the photos she had saved onto her phone. “Here’s one from when you and Luke visited for Thanksgiving when you were eleven.”

In that picture he was half of Luke's height and wore an uncomfortable starched uniform. He remembered that year well; it was the year that his parents decided that their work schedules didn’t allow them to “dedicate the time to properly raise a child” and was passed onto his uncle. Going from private school to some weird alternative school where Luke taught was a big adjustment, to say the least. 

“Why did you end up sending me to that school?” Ben asked. "I hated it there."

Leia gently placed her fork down. She paused, thinking of the right way to say it. “I thought that maybe it was best for you, considering.”

“Considering what?”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “You don’t remember, kid?”

Ben’s eyes shifted between Luke and Leia, searching for the answer. Neither could look him in the eye.

He repeated himself. “Considering what?”

Leia sighed. “Benny, when you were younger... you weren’t exactly, uh... how do you say...”

Luke’s hands landed on the table with a thus. “For goodness’s sake, Leia. You had really bad anger issues, Ben. When you were upset you would destroy and hurt anything in your path, including your own father.”

“There’s a reason why you father’s not in any of the photos from that year,” Leia said softly. “He was still healing from his bruises.”

He couldn’t have been so violent to his own father, his childhood best friend.

There was no possibility any of it could be true, right? Ben didn’t have any memory problems as far as he knew, so why wouldn’t he remember hitting his own father so hard? It did make sense though. Sometimes it felt like he wasn’t fully himself, watching his body act for himself while the real Ben was watching. No matter how hard he tried to remember, his tour in Afghanistan brought up nothing. Maybe he did block out certain parts of his life, consciously or not.

"Were you guys planning on ever telling me that?" he asked them. "What if I do that again to someone I love?'

His mother came up with a million reasons why she shielded him from his own anger. None of them made sense to him; she should have just told him the truth, whether it hurt him or not. Now he had another reason to avoid visiting this place.

He had to get out of there. 

* * *

_Am I a monster?_

He hoped that Rey would see his text. She would know exactly what to say. But if she saw it, she’d figure out that he was insane and that she shouldn’t be wasting her time on an alpha with so called “mental issues”. What kind of self-respecting person would bother?

His phone rings.

"Are you okay?" her voice was like honey, the sweetness soothing his ache. Even in a video call, she had the same effect on him. His omega was here to take care of him.

It took him a long time to respond properly. He could still hear this mother echoing the story back in his head, that he hurt his father, and he couldn't control his anger, and how Leia almost said 'monster' when referring to his angry bursts. He was a monster, and he buried that so far deep into his consciousness that his childhood only came back in vague flashes of memories that were long gone.

No wonder why they were against him going to West Point and serving his time. Were they afraid that his 'condition' would worsen? Most people he knew that came back from their deployments were not all there. He was fortunate to have survived without witnessing any casualties, but the odds of that were one in a million, if not smaller. This whole time he thought they disapproved because they might not see him again. The real problem would be if he came back, fucked up, being terrorized by his own dreams, never feeling completely safe-

"Ben?" Just like that, she brought him back to reality. "Please talk. Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You're lying to me."

"Do you think I'm a monster?" He couldn't look at her when he asked. He was sure he was going to hear a yes. "I mean, I did take advantage of my position and you.”

"You're not a monster, Ben. You didn't do anything to me that I didn't want. Where is this all coming from?"

Ben downed the rest of the bourbon he had, holding back the tears he didn’t realize were forming at the corners of his eyes. 

He told her the full story. She at least deserved the truth about him: that he was a terrible person, he had problems that he never fully acknowledged. She deserved to be with someone better than him. Through the video call, he could see her face mirroring his own. She wiped away her tears with the corner of her shirt. She sniffled, struggling to normalize her breath. 

“I love you Ben. That includes all the fucked up things that happened to you." She adjusted her camera so that he could see Midnight on her lap. The wrapped her arms tightly around him, much to his annoyance. "I wish you were here so I could hug you."

"Me too."

"You know, your mom probably didn't tell you because it hurt just as much to bring up those memories again. Please don't blame her for being a human. I'd kill to have someone love me that way."

"You already do."

She gave him a half smile, happy that he was starting to feel a tad better. "Just come back in one piece, okay?"

"I love you."

"I know."


	15. Chapter 15

"Do you ever wonder if you'd made a mistake? Not about us, just... generally."

They hadn't spoken in the hour or so that they'd been together. Ben was grading final papers and Rey was studying for her design final later that week. Her thoughts started to drift when she noticed that, after spending way too long overthinking her internship application, she got the email thanking her for her time. She just "wasn't the right fit" for their team.

It was one of several that she received in the last week. Email after email she could feel her job outlook slowly dwindle, and with that, her hope. What was the point of studying engineering for three and a half years if no one was going to call her back for at least an interview?

"What is it really about, Rey?"

She sighed. "I don't think I'm cut out to be an engineer."

Ben put down his pen and turned his whole body towards her. "You're kidding, right? You are the smartest person I know. Just because some companies didn't hire you right off the bat doesn't mean you won't get a job eventually."

"What if I made the wrong choice? I mean, I spent all this time studying for a subject that I thought was going to give me job security. To be completely honest, I just did it for the money."

Ben grabbed her hand and stroke the back of it with his thumbs. "Let me put it this way. Do you think you'll be happy working forty hours a week at a job you don't feel completely passionate about?"

She sat there for a while, not knowing how to reply. Her whole childhood wasn't the happiest, leading her to dedicate her school time to getting out of that town and into one of the best colleges in the country. Now that she was here, and finally graduating, her future was a little uncertain. Her original plan was to get an internship that would hopefully become a career; now that it's not coming together like she wanted, she felt a little worthless.

She built up this whole ideal life for herself and now what? It was just going into the garbage. Three years of crying, late nights, and being so stressed out that she now had a handful of grey hairs on her head were all she had to show for herself.

"I don't know," she said. "I... didn't think I'd get this far."

"Me either," he replied. "But you know what? You'll figure it out. You're in your twenties, even thirty-year olds don't have it all figured out, and those that say they do are liars."

"Are you referring to yourself?"

He shrugged. "I thought I was going to be an author before I went to West Point. Things happen. People change."

"I guess. I mean, I didn't think I'd be dating my professor, so there's that."

Ben's eyes widened and his eyebrows lifted, just enough that made Rey wonder whether or not he even considered them as dating. To be fair, they had spent hours alone together and she knew everything about him; that had to count as date time.

"Sorry, I didn't realize that we haven't really... defined the relationship." 

"Are you sure you want to be with someone like me?" he looked down, avoiding her eyes. His voice was low, almost a whisper. "After all the things I've told you about me, I'm surprised you'd still find me worth your time."

Rey stood and closed the distance between them. She grabbed the collar of his sweater and pressed her lips onto his. At first, he didn't move. shocked by her actions. She leaned into the kiss, her body finding its way onto his lap, urging him to make a move.

She pulled away for a second, her forehead pressed against his. "Right now, you're the only thing I'm sure about."

His lips felt softer this time, reciprocating her actions with a tender kiss. She could hear her heartbeat thumping against her chest. Ben pushed himself against her, and she could feel his heartbeat matching the intensity of her own. Her hands found her way to the sides of his face, holding him firmly in place and flush against her.

His lips parted, allowing her to slip her tongue in. It was soft, gentle, as if he didn't want to hurt her. Rey kept pulling him closer to her, needing him to be closer than they could physically be. He yielded to her. Every move she made was magic, and he tried to suppress the moan that was urging to escape his mouth.

Rey pulled away abruptly when she heard several footsteps walking past the office door. She cursed, wishing they hadn't been interrupted. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "Will you be my boyfriend? Officially?"

He smirked. "Obviously."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're almost to the end!


	16. Chapter 16

"Rey, you can't wear that."

She brushed the lint off of her jeans. "Why? It's just a little party."

Rose looked lively, as she usually did when she swirled around the kitchen and fixed up the apartment. "Just-" she gestured to her mid-length skirt and shimmery chemise. "-you know. Fix yourself up. I wanted your party to be a little grown up, so get that dress you wore that frat party last year, the green one!"

Rey sighed and did what she was told. There was no winning with Rose this time, not when she put so much work into her own graduation party. Rey tried to help with what she was allowed to mess with- putting up streamers- but she was quickly dismissed because she "wasn't hanging them correctly". That left her to laze around on the living room couch, wondering what kind of appetizers Rose was going to put out.

She dug through several drawers before she found it- the mini dress she thrifted years ago. It still fit her like a glove. The velvet fabric felt like new, and she cursed herself for shoving it in the back of her closet. She wouldn't say it aloud, but she liked the way she looked in dresses. Even if they made her feel uncomfortable.

Her bedroom door creaked open and she heard an approving hum. "You're beautiful." In the doorway, Ben leaned against the door frame, practically beaming. "I am so proud of you."

She gestured for him to enter and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It's not too much?"

"It's perfect."

Through the doorway, they could hear the front door open and a rustle of paper bags dropping on the floor. Jess cursed loudly. She finally showed up with the booze- an array of hard seltzers, mixed drinks, and lots of liquor. She had a smile on her face, proud of the haul she brought in.

Rey walked to the door and helped Jess put up all the drinks. "Jess, you know it's just going to be a few people, right?"

She scoffed. "Come on, Rey. Finals are over. You don't think this is going to be a party for the entire floor?"

From the kitchen, Rose glared at Jess. "I didn't make enough food for the whole floor!"

* * *

Ben had about four shots of tequila. His face was red and he couldn't quite walk straight, which was why he found himself slouching on the corner of the sofa, clutching Rey like she was his old stuffed bear. She nestled into him, taking a very slow inhale and tightening her grip on him.

Around them, the party lived on. Several people from their floor came in and out, spreading the party into the hall. Kay and Jess were kicking ass at beer pong. Rose sat at the living chair on his right, making conversation with Finn, the resident assistant. Ben recognized him from his class and the night they were caught kissing, but Finn didn't seem to be all that phased with the position they were in right now.

Rose turned towards him. "Hey. Ben." Her words were garbled, and she knocked over her can of hard seltzer with her foot. "You're a cool guy, you know that?"

"Thanks, Rose."

Her eyes narrowed as she pointed a finger at him. "Rey told me to be careful with Hux... I should've listened to her. You were really nice about it though, not a lot of people would do that."

Rose didn't elaborate on that, and instead turned back to talk to Finn. They continued to talk animatedly about a show on some streaming service they were obsessed with. Ben couldn't really make out what they were saying at that point, too invested in the girl nuzzling into his side.

"Mmm," Rey twisted her body around to sit up. The corners of her mouth turned up into the grin, and leaned in to kiss him. "You're a cool guy, but don't let my boyfriend know...he'll kill you." She tapped his nose, giggled, and returned to snuggling against him.

_Boyfriend_.

It felt good. Right.

He planted a kiss on her forehead and held her tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for making it through this whole fic! I haven't written or finished writing a fic in a really long time, and I'm proud of this one. I'm really invested in this universe now, and I'm in the process of writing a sequel. I hope you stick around to reading it!


End file.
